Mr. Ashcroft''s words made Elian''s expression shift a little.


    "Sounds like a good n," he chuckled.


    But soon, his tone turned serious. "However, I''ll find a way."


    Because whether it was Mr. Ashcroft''s first topic or the second, Elian couldn''t find any reason to argue against them. The first one, he wanted. The second one, he desired as well.


    As the Hawke family saga was causing quite the stir, Miranda managed to trace the mastermind behind the attack on her that day.


    The information came from an international intelligence broker, someone Miranda had connections with overseas.


    This guy was Miranda''s go-to for any intel beyond their borders. Renowned worldwide, even official agencies sometimes had to coborate with him.


    And all he ever wanted was money. Adding his skills to the mix, and it was no wonder he was still doing well. No one dared to mess with him, as it would mean losing a valuable source of information.


    Miranda got in touch with him through Marion. Later on, even Marion wasn''t sure what Miranda did, but this guy now willingly did her bidding.


    Charles texted, [The folks who attacked you were mercenaries, usually active around border areas. Their boss is from a wealthy family in Virelia. Apparently, someone in their family has a rare illness, and the ck market medicine actually worked. So, they''ve been desperately searching for the chemist. Word is, they spent five hundred million dors hiring the world''s best hackers to find your address. Then, they shelled out another one hundred million to hire those mercs to bring you in.]


    After sending this message, Charles followed up with extensive dossiers on the family and the mercenaries.


    Charles wrote, [Oh, and while digging into this, I found that the Logan faction seems to be looking for you too. Not sure if it''s exactly you, but I thought it was close enough, so I gged it.]


    The Logan faction hardly needed an introduction. Anyone with a foot in the underworld knew the weight those words carried. The godfather of the western underground, ruler of a vast empire beneath the surface, head of the notorious Victor family, Logan.


    Charles couldn''t help but be curious. [Did you piss off Logan too?]


    Reading this, Miranda felt like if she admitted it, Charles would bolt immediately.


    Miranda answered, [Nah, we just met once. Maybe he fell head over heels for me.]


    Yeah, right. Logan was notorious for having people lined up to warm his bed each year, some of the most stunning faces from around the globe.


    Yet, he seemingly had little interest in either women or men, though rumors suggested he had a steady partner.


    A guy like that, falling in love with Miranda at first sight? Not a chance. Charles was more inclined to believe Miranda had definitely crossed Logan somehow.


    Miranda smirked, [Thanks, keep an eye on these folks for me. I''ll be in touch if anythinges up. The money will be in your ount on time.]


    Charles sent, [Got it.]


    Finally, Charles added, [Don''t cross Logan.]


    Miranda raised an eyebrow, not too worried about Logan. She was in Ardenza, and someone like Logan wouldn''t dare bring in guns here. What was there to fear?


    As long as she stayed in the country, she didn''t believe Logan would go to such lengths to hunt her down just because she might have offended him.


    "Five hundred million to hire hackers," she frowned. "I should''ve just introduced myself and pocketed that sum."


    Why hadn''t anyone told her about such an opportunity? Five hundred million would fund her herb-making efforts for ages.


    Thanks to the energy she''d absorbed from the mysterious stone, her mental strength was currently sufficient for her usual medical practices. Otherwise, her physical state would make


    ove


    concocting pills quite taxing.


    Her pills were still avable on the


    ck market, albeit in limited quantities. Given her reputation,


    whenever she listed new stocks,


    buyers would camp out, eager to get their hands on them.


    Even though Miranda never changed her initial high price, once her products hit the ck market, their value multiplied, with people scrambling to buy them.


    UT


    Naturally, this made the chemist a target for many. But Miranda had anticipated this, having been through simr situations before. Confident in her ability to protect herself, she never worried.


    She poured herself a ss of water, took a sip, and walked to the window. Outside, she could vaguely make out a few figures loitering near her home.


    "Being a bodyguard isn''t too bad," she quipped.


    The ones lurking nearby were the same people who had extended a friendly offer to her. Beck''s people, to be exact.


    Even though she turned them down, they still had someone keeping a discreet watch over her. Their actions, she had to admit, earned them a bit of her goodwill.